From the New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Translation and Eating the Sun, a charming illustrated collection of more than fifty expressions from around the globe that explores the nuances of language From the hilarious and romantic to the philosophical and literal, the idioms, proverbs, and adages in this illustrated collection address the nuances of language in the form of sayings from around the world. From the French idiom “to pedal in the sauerkraut” (meaning, “to spin your wheels”), to the Japanese idiom “even monkeys fall from trees” (meaning, “even experts can be wrong”), The Illustrated Book of Sayings reveals the remarkable diversity, humor, and poignancy of the world’s languages and cultures.

Have you ever wondered why we say, "It's raining cats and dogs" and other funny old sayings like, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"? Often we know what they mean, but do we know where they originated?Well in this book, you are about to find out!For example, when we want to wish someone a good nights sleep, people often say, "Night night, sleep tight." Who would have thought that this dates back to Shakespeare's time, when mattresses were secured onto a bed frame by ropes. In order to make the bed firmer and more comfortable, people would have to pull on the ropes to tighten the mattress and hence the saying came about.This delightful book is full of well known sayings, beautifully matched with fun and original illustrations, which will make you laugh out loud. Part of the fun is seeing whether you can guess the saying just from looking at the picture.This book will appeal to lovers of trivia, history and language. It makes the perfect little gift for the someone that has everything! Keep it in on the coffee table and provide a little bit of amusement for all!Learn a little trivia, keep history alive.

From the author of Eating the Sun, an artistic collection of more than 50 drawings featuring unique, funny, and poignant foreign words that have no direct translation into English Did you know that the Japanese language has a word to express the way sunlight filters through the leaves of trees? Or that there’s a Finnish word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing to rest? Lost in Translation brings to life more than fifty words that don’t have direct English translations with charming illustrations of their tender, poignant, and humorous definitions. Often these words provide insight into the cultures they come from, such as the Brazilian Portuguese word for running your fingers through a lover’s hair, the Italian word for being moved to tears by a story, or the Swedish word for a third cup of coffee. In this clever and beautifully rendered exploration of the subtleties of communication, you’ll find new ways to express yourself while getting lost in the artistry of imperfect translation.

Contains quotations collected by artist Mary Engelbreit throughout her life and used in her illustrations, and features a selection of her work, grouped by quotation topic in the categories of love and family, friendship, inspiration and encouragement, wisdom and learning, holidays, childhood, and pure Mary.

The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Expressions uncovers the fascinating, humorous, and often unbelievable origin stories behind the English language's most common sayings! Nobody thinks twice about sayings like bite the bullet and the cat's out of the bag. But the strange and wonderful origins of these expressions are far from arbitrary: They are rooted in forgotten history. Within this book, you will discover the origins of idioms like: Why we say an unwell person is under the weather. It goes back to when sickly sailors and seafarers had to rest below deck! How come sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle is called riding shotgun." In the Wild West, passengers had a crucial job: packing heat and preventing highway robberies! What's up with the phrase, cat got your tongue. Here's a hint: It doesn't have anything to do with cats! With over 100 pieces of original artwork, The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Expressions is as beautiful as it is entertaining and informative. Read up on this fascinating history of the English language's 64 most popular idioms, and you will know what it really means when you say pass with flying colors, bury the hatchet, and rest on your laurels!

This is a collection of some of the most important and well- known English proverbs & sayings. Proverbs have been handed down from generation to generation from the earliest times to give advice, and were passed down from mouth to mouth long before any written records. Proverbs are especially good for a language student because they are metaphorical, and create a strong visual image in the mind. Proverbs are a great way of giving students good example sentences which they can memorize and use as models for building their own sentences. We have tried to keep the caption explaining the proverb as colloquial as possible and as close to spoken English as possible, it contains several Keywords (at times perhaps too many) related to the concept expressed by the proverb.

A brightly illustrated comic guide to sayings and expressions from around the world, comparing the ways different cultures interpret the same ideas. You might say that an annoying person is called “a bad apple,” but Venezuelans would call them “a pineapple under the arm.” On a wet day, you might think “it’s raining cats and dogs,” but the rest of the world has some different ideas on what’s falling from the sky. This book looks at the unique ways different languages express common ideas like “too many cooks spoil the broth” and getting stuck “between a rock and a hard place,” as well as unique sayings about cats, beards, dancing, and much, much more. With over 330 illustrated phrases from Vietnam to Venezuela, A World of Wisdom is a fun and funny guide to all the phrases you might ever need!

With gentle encouragement, this book teaches children that they can think before speaking, choose what to say and how to say it, and find positive ways to respond when others use unkind words. The importance of saying “I’m sorry” is reinforced. Includes tips for parents and caregivers.

Winner of the 2019 Whirling Prize “Strong on science but just this side of poetry.” —Nature A beautifully illustrated exploration of the principles, laws, and wonders that rule our universe, our world, and our daily lives, from the New York Times bestselling creator of Lost in Translation Have you ever found yourself wondering what we might have in common with stars, or why the Moon never leaves us? Thinking about the precise dancing of planets, the passing of time, or the nature of natural things? Our world is full of unshakable mystery, and although we live in a civilization more complicated than ever, there is simplicity and reassurance to be found in knowing how and why. From the New York Times bestselling creator of Lost in Translation, Eating the Sun is a delicately existential, beautifully illustrated, and welcoming exploration of the universe—one that examines and marvels at the astonishing principles, laws, and phenomena that we exist alongside, that we sit within. “[A] lyrical and luminous celebration of science and our consanguinity with the universe. . . . Playful and poignant.” —Brain Pickings

African Proverbs for All Ages is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa. It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience. Whether you are young or old, proverbs can open your mind to a whole new way of seeing the world. We underestimate children when we assume they are incapable of understanding metaphor and deeper meaning. There are multiple ways that children learn, but for each method by which they learn, they need their imagination engaged and their visual sensibilities ignited. And as adults, we underestimate ourselves when we allow our lives to be about practical matters only. Proverbs can stir our soul and spark our imagination. --Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D. President Emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges In African Proverbs for All Ages, noted anthropologist and educator Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole and award-winning illustrator Nelda LaTeef invite children and adults to explore and reflect on complex notions about relationships, identity, society, and the human condition. A Roaring Brook Press and Oprah Book